Disclaimer: Jonny Quest belongs to Hanna Barbera and Turner Productions. I am not affliated with the mentioned companies in any way. The JQ characters here are used without permission of the owners. No cash is made from this.

Well, well. It looks like the final chapter of my crazy fic. I’m sure everyone who was being driven nutz by this whole thing will be very relieved to read this. By now, I believe you know that I have a very different perspective of HR. Out with the traditional icky-mushy stuff, in with the exciting chase, full of fast, hot...
[Little people in Ina-chan’s head react violently]Stick to PG-13 rating hentai!!!!
...aheeem. As I was saying, just blame it to Takahashi Rumiko-sama (O great goddess of romantic hijinx storytelling ).
Before you go on, I just want to remind you that this whole situation could be happening any time: past, present, future, alternate dimension... But if you guys haven’t figured out who these two are right after I write the first revealing dialogue... well I’d be veeeeeery disappointed.

First Contact of Another Kind
Part 4: Surprises and Revelations
by Ina-chan

“OH MY GOD!!!!!!”

“WHAT!!!” My companion yelled back in anxiety

I sat up suddenly, spilling him to the floor. This was too weird. But it was the only explanation to all that was happening. So I did exactly what any normal person would do when faced with a situation like this. I pointed at him hysterically and yelled:

“YOU’RE A FEMALE!”

He---she stared at me as if I grew another head on the spot. Oh God! I’m embarrassing myself. In front of her and five... four conscious strangers.

Comprehension finally dawned at her face and gave me a twisted smile,“ You know I have been accused a lot of things in my life... You thought I was a MAN? Really Red, I think you spent too of your time looking at amoebae.”

I’ve read from somewhere that shock can cut the communication between your consciousness and the rest of your body. It’s like a defense mechanism for your brain. At that moment, I believe my brain shut itself off from my mouth to protect itself. Though I can’t say the same thing for my ego.

“YOU’RE A WOMAN!”

“Dude, I think you just drove your first dude to insanity.”

By the time I gained full control of my senses, the rest of our captives were untied, and we were seated in the room for interrogation. Ms. Loud Mouth towered at us like a matronly general, Ms. Perfect Nails continued to fuss with her nails, The Two Stooges were still acting stupid, while the guy my companion knocked out was... still out.

“Who the hell are you?” Ms. Loud Mouth spat

“I would like to ask the same question to you,” My companion replied coolly

“I’m the one asking the questions here.”

“No one’s stopping you.”

“You’re supposed to answer my questions.”

“Well, what do you think I’m doing?”

“STOP FOOLING AROUND!!! I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR ANY OF THIS!”

My companion stared at her face intently for a while, “Did you know that when you yell furiously like that, your nostrils actually flare quite a bit...”

The Two Stooges started to snicker.

“Aaaannd... if you look at it from this angle,” She continued, as she tilted her head a bit, “I can actually see you nose hairs stick out.”

If I wasn’t seeing the expression on Loud Mouth’s face, I would have laughed too. Jeez, this woman is something else! Guts of steel and calm at the eye of a storm. It’s really amazing how much you change your perspective about someone in just a few moments.

“I have a pair of tweezers in my make-up kit if you want them,” Ms. Perfect Nails offered helpfully

Loud Mouth glared at her menacingly, “None of this would have happened if you were doing your job properly.”

Ms. Perfect Nails pouted, “It’s not my fault! Why do you always blame me?”

“You know what Les, dude?”

“WHAT?” Loud Mouth yelled angrily at one of the Two Stooges, who was tilting his head at an odd angle

“She’s right!”

“WILL YOU STOP IT WITH THE NOSE?!?!?!?”

“You know, there is a simpler solution to all of this,” The Other Stooge proclaimed, as he threw our wallets bearing our identification to Loud Mouth

Loud Mouth quickly scanned our ID’s and then gave a sinister smile.

She pointed at me, “The old man’s assistant, we could use that one. Her,” She sneered evily and gestured at my friend, “The police wannabe -- we can waste.”

“No!” I yelled out, quite loudly, that every one looked at me in surprise. “I mean, if you do that you’ll be charged with murder. At least with this one, you can just be accounted for mischief...”

“MISCHIEF! Is that what you think this is? A PRANK? Omega Strike does not indulge in childs play.”

“Well I don’t think you’d enjoy the prison term for terrorist acts.”

“WE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES FOR THE ‘CAUSE’!”

The rest of the conscious members nodded solemnly.

“And what exactly is your ‘cause’?” My companion asked sweetly

Loud Mouth looked at her in surprise.

Ms. Perfect Nails wrinkled her forehead.

The Two Stooges stared at her blankly.

The guy knocked out cold snored.

One of the Stooges looked at Loud Mouth uncomfortably, “Yeah Les, what exactly are we doing this for?”

“I thought it was to save the germs,” Ms. Perfect Nails called out suddenly, “Did you know that within a few years smallpox would be totally eradicated in the world? I think we should release all the captive germs so they can breed back in their natural habitat.”

I honestly did not know whether I wanted to laugh, cry or strangle her at this point. All her comrades and my companion obviously reflected my opinion. Loud Mouth slapped her forehead and groaned.

“How did you manage to get to college, my dear?” She said in a voice full of awe

Ms. Perfect Nails giggled, “Silly! I drove through Highway 10, and it leads right into the school parking lot.”

“And how much cash did Daddy pay the board to get you admitted?” My friend continued

Ms. Perfect Nails giggled again, “You are so funny! Daddy didn’t pay cash. He wrote a check from the bank.”

I need to bang my head to a wall.

“SHUT UP!” Loud Mouth bellowed, “We’re doing this to gain World Peace.”

“How is releasing dangerous pathogens to the public going to help you do that?” I replied incredulously

“Well, we need to gain notoriety in order for the proper authorities to pay attention to us,” One of the Stooges reasoned

“Has it ever occurred to you that a lot of people could die if you do that?” I replied angrily

“COOL!” The other Stooge replied

By then I realized, I was going about this the wrong way. I needed to take a different approach. My companion took the cue.

“Do you have any idea what smallpox can do to your skin?” She started in a dramatic voice, “First you get blisters all over your body. And when the blisters all heal, you get scabs everywhere. It could also get infected and get puss on each one. If you’re lucky, you die. But if you survive, you get scars worse than acne and chicken pox combined.”

“EEEEEEWWWWW!!!” Ms. Perfect Nails wailed disgusted

One of the Stooges paled considerably, “Sorry Les dude, no way I’m getting near that thing.”

“It WAS a pretty good idea Les,” The other Stooge said uneasily

“YOU’RE GIVING UP JUST LIKE THAT?”

The Two Stooges looked away uncomfortably, Ms. Perfect Nails started filing her nails. The guy knocked out snored again. Loud Mouth sighed in defeat.

My companion was looking at me frantically.

“Look! You can all argue about this later. Where’s the Doc?”

“Oh, you mean the Old Dude? He was in the main lab opening one of those freezers when I last saw him."

We were running to the main lab in a wink of an eye. When we got there, the doors were locked and I fumbled around my clothing, unable to find my passcard. Life can be so damn cruel in its timing to show its sense of humor sometimes.

“He’s coming out of the vault, carrying a bottle of something,” My companion called as she peered into the door’s window, “Hurry up!”

I located my pass card and initiated process to unlock the lab.

“He’s opened the bottle... Oh no! I think he’s going to drink it. Damn it Red, hurry it up!”

The lab doors flew open and we both rushed into the room, talking at the same time.

“DR. O’CONNOR STOP!---”

“UNCLE MORGAN DON’T---”

The Doc looked at us in surprise, “Benton? Ray, what in the world are you doing here?”

“Look, I know it’s been hard with Gloria and everything. Life sucks! But she’s not worth it! Don’t drink that. I love you, Uncle Morgan,” My friend babbled on tearfully

Dr. O’Connor put the bottle slowly on a desk and calmly turned to his niece, “Okay, honey. Anything you want. Though, I’m a bit puzzled why you’re so upset with me drinking Coke*.”

***

I do believe a couple of years from now, I will be looking back and laugh at this whole incident. The police did not find anything amusing about the situation at the moment though. Specially that hot-headed rookie that seemed more than willing to throw down his badge and give all of us a very physical lesson on why we should not waste the police’s time. It’s funny too, how a little rumor circulating around the lounge brought a chain of events that eventually lead to this. Not that I really regret everything that happened.

“You really think too much, you know,” My companion remarked, “If I were another person, I’d think you’re being rude on purpose to ditch me.”

“Sorry. I was just thinking...” I stammered

“Enough already!” She laughed playfully

“So how is he?”

“Well, I convinced him to take some time off and maybe spend some time with us in the ranch. I’ll be off with him to New Mexico as soon as he fixed everything he has to.”

“That’s good.”

We didn’t talk much after a while. Just enjoying each other’s company in silence while waiting for her cab to arrive. Though at that moment, silence was not one of the things I wanted to spend with her. She was leaving in a few days, and there’s just so much I want to know... to learn about her. Maybe I was spending too much time with amoebae... God this is so ackward!

I was just about to gather my courage when the cab arrived. Don’t you just hate life? I opened the door and let her in, when she suddenly stopped the door from closing and gave me a determined look.

“Look Red... Umm Benton... Mr. Quest. I... uh... I just want to thank you for your help and for putting up with me,” She said shyly

“It has been my pleasure, Miss Wildey.” Jeez! Did I just say that stiff liner?

“Please,” She said anxiously, “Please call... please call me Rachel.”

“Okay.” Goodness Benton, is that all you have to say?

She laughed awkwardly like a school girl and quickly shut the door. All I could do was watch the cab roll away and carry her out of my sight... maybe forever.

Then the cab stopped, the window rolled down and half her body slithered out, “647-3921”

“What?” I called out

“Are you deaf Red, or what? 647-3921. Before 12 o’clock, or I’ll go to sleep.”

All I could do is nod in astonishment and wave back as she slid back into the vehicle.

And that is how my adventure ended with an amazing woman named Rachel Wildey. Though for some weird reason, I had a feeling that the real adventure has barely begun...